“What kind of tree frogs can you find in New Hampshire?“

Tree Frogs are interesting animals that have adapted to all sorts of habitat niches. And while they are common, they are MUCH harder to find than your “typical” frogs that live in lakes and ponds. For example, a tree frog could literally be right next to your head, but it may be concealed on the other side of a leaf or camouflaged perfectly to its environment.

For the sake of this article, I have included members of Hylidae, which is the family that encompasses all tree frogs in New Hampshire. But don’t let the name “tree frog” fool you, as species from this family are not always arboreal but can be terrestrial and semi-aquatic too!

Since tree frogs can be hard to observe, I have tried to include audio samples for each species. Listening is sometimes the BEST (or only) way to locate each species. 🙂

2 Types of Tree Frogs in New Hampshire:

#1. Spring Peeper

• Pseudacris crucifer

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are small and range from 1 to 1.5 inches long.
• They’re typically tan or brown, with the females being lighter in color.
• Both males and females usually feature a dark cross or ‘X’ on their back.

These tiny tree frogs can be found all over New Hampshire.

You’ll typically find Spring Peepers on the forest floor among the leaves. However, they do have large toe pads that they use for climbing trees.

Spring Peeper Range Map

You can find them in ponds and small bodies of water in the spring, where they breed and lay eggs. After hatching, the young tree frogs remain in the tadpole stage for about three months before leaving the water.

Spring Peepers get their name from their distinctive spring chorus. They’re thought to sound like the “peep” of baby chickens. You are most likely to hear them in early spring! LISTEN BELOW!

Their calls are very distinctive, and these tree frogs are easy to identify by sound.

#2. Gray Tree Frog

• Dryophytes versicolor

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adult body lengths range from 1.5 to 2 inches.
• Mottled gray, green, and brown coloring. Look for a whitish spot beneath each eye.
• Bumpy skin, short snouts, and bright orange on the undersides of their legs.

This incredible tree frog can slowly change colors to match what it’s sitting on to camouflage itself. And you thought chameleons were the only animal that can change colors! They vary from gray to green or brown. It’s common for their back to display a mottled coloring, much like lichen.

Gray Tree Frogs are ubiquitous throughout most of New Hampshire. You’ll spot them in a wide variety of wooded habitats, from backyards to forests to swamps.

Gray Tree Frog Range Map

They stick to the treetops until it’s time to breed. Gray Tree Frogs prefer to mate and lay eggs in woodland ponds without fish. They’ll also use swamps and garden water features.

Gray Tree Frogs are easier to hear than to see.

Listen for a high trill that lasts about 1 second, commonly heard in spring and summer.

*Gray Tree Frogs are essentially identical to Cope’s Gray Tree Frogs. The only way to tell the difference is to listen to their breeding calls. You can learn more by visiting this site.*

Which of these tree frogs have you seen in New Hampshire?

Leave a comment below!

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